I didn’t read Michael Lewis’ bestseller about the credit and housing bubble collapse and subsequent bailout of the big banks, but I couldn’t wait to see the movie on which it was based. What a cast. What rave reviews. What a saga.

Financial terminology makes my eyes glaze over and I’m an idiot when it comes to math, so I didn’t expect to understand everything that was going on in the movie – and I didn’t. But I understood enough of the big picture to get that director Adam McKay, who’s better known for his Will Ferrell comedies, came up with an ingenious way to tell a true story that’s full of financial mumbo jumbo, doesn’t have any heroes, and certainly doesn’t have a happy ending.

Basically, Christian Bale plays Dr. Michael Burry, a socially inept genius who quit medicine to start Scion Capital, where he figured out that American housing was built on a bubble that was about to burst. His investments in subprime home mortgages gets the attention of a cocky, ambitious Wall Streeter named Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), who explains it all to fellow investments broker Mark Baum (Steve Carrell). Baum has a complicated relationship with his job and his life (he’s in group therapy to come to terms with his brother’s death), but follows Burry and Vennett’s strategy even as he knows it could bring the country to its knees. As I said, there are no winners here and it’s hard to care about any of the characters. But McKay presents them in a unique, fast-paced style that drew me. (He uses amusing cameos by Margot Robbie, Anthony Bordain and Selina Gomez to explain technical terms to the audience.) The result is that I was furious all over again about how corrupt our financial system is and how all those assholes took the country down and never went to jail for it.

As with most movies I see lately, “The Big Short” had several places where it could have ended (directors seem allergic to the word “cut”), and it dragged on too long for my taste. A bearded Brad Pitt, whose Plan B Productions produced the film as it did with “Moneyball,” has some cool scenes as the voice of reason, and it’s always good to see Marisa Tomei and Melissa Leo even in small roles. Overall, the movie was very entertaining, and some of the dialogue was laugh-out-loud funny. The first film to show us exactly how such a heinous chapter in America’s history happened, “The Big Short” is a must-see.

I had to practically drag Michael to see this last night, but it was playing right nearby so he sucked it up and came with me. His reaction afterwards was that the movie wasn’t as bad as he thought, and mine was that I may have to stop trusting The New York Times movie reviews with which I don’t always agree but more so lately. Stephen Holden called the movie “a gripping, beautifully executed journalistic thriller” and Cate Blanchett’s performance “one of her best.” I respectfully say, “Not so fast.”

Blanchett plays Mary Mapes, a well-respected producer for CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” whose on-air talent, Dan Rather, is her surrogate father of sorts (Robert Redford plays Rather). Based on Mapes’ book, “Truth” takes us inside the newsroom during an investigation into whether family strings were pulled to get George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard so he could escape the draft during the Vietnam War. What’s more, Mapes and her team set out to prove that Bush didn’t show up for his physical, went AWOL for a long period of time and that the truth of his military record was covered up. The lead-up to the airing of Mapes’ broadcast is indeed suspenseful, as we wonder who among the various characters, both political and military, will go on the record and/or turn over documents. And when the story does air, Mapes, Rather and crew celebrate, thinking they’ve broken big news and their bosses at CBS News will be pleased.

The bosses are pleased….at first. Then the pushback begins as others question Mapes’ sources and whether she and Rather were just trying to tarnish Bush’s reputation during the critical 2004 election. Many twists and turns follow involving fonts and typefaces and whether Mapes truly had authentic documents in her possession. Ultimately, Rather was forced to step down as the “Evening News” anchor, which essentially ended his career, and Mapes was fired out right, ending hers. (In a postscript, we learn that her earlier report on Abu Ghraib won a Peabody Award for the network.)

“Truth” asks valid and interesting questions about television journalism and I enjoyed that aspect of the film. Did Mapes’ and Rather’s own political bias affect their ability to do their jobs on the story? Or did they simply want to expose the truth about a chapter in the personal history of a presidential candidate? Did CBS genuinely have concerns about their fact-gathering methods or did they cave in to political pressure from their corporate (and more conservative) bosses?

Supporting characters are first-rate: Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid, Stacey Keach, Elisabeth Moss. And the dialogue is crackling and smart at times, heavy-handed and speech-y at others. The movie is overly long and becomes tedious once the piece on Bush airs, and Blanchett, although playing a high-strung character, is actress-y and over the top.

After the brilliance of “Spotlight” the other day, a film that covered the journalism profession without theatrics, “Truth” was a letdown.

I so wanted to be a journalist by the end of this movie. As the credits rolled, I kept thinking what a noble profession journalism is when it’s not about sensationalism and how maligned it’s become, especially during this presidential campaign season. Which is another way of saying I loved “Spotlight.” Finally, a film that more than deserves all the accolades and prizes it’s garnered. The acting, the writing, the direction – all first rate.

Based on true events, it’s the story of the investigative unit of the Boston Globe that, in 2001, spent many months getting to the truth of the sex abuses by Catholic priests and exposing not only the guilty priests but the monumental cover-up at the highest levels of the church. The so-called spotlight team won a Pulitzer for their work, and in this movie we see why.

Michael Keaton leads the team, and as good as he was in “Birdman,” he’s even better here because the part is less showy. He and his reporters, played by Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo, among others, are as committed to their jobs as they are to the Catholic church having been raised in it, so their conflicts abound. Their investigation is boots-on-the-ground hard work, overseen by their new editor, played by the always good Liev Schreiber, and by “Mad Men” star John Slattery as Ben Bradlee, Jr. There’s no romanticizing of the investigation, no glamorizing and, best of all, no speechifying. These journalists speak like real people, not characters from a screenwriter’s imagination. And the result is surprisingly suspenseful – a thriller without the car chases and snarling villains. It’s a straightforward exercise in filmmaking, and it’s all the more engrossing for it.

And yes, I’m putting “Spotlight” on my Best Picture list for Oscar time – a no-brainer.

We braved the rain the other night (yes, it actually rained in Santa Barbara – for two days, in fact – and hopefully the percip helped the drought conditions) and went to the Arlington Theater to see “Selma.” The night before on his MSNBC show, Lawrence O’Donnell had gone into such a state of rhapsody over the movie that, in addition to many other glowing reviews as well as the timeliness of the subject and my own interest in the civil rights movement, I was eager to see “Selma” – particularly on the eve of the Golden Globes awards.

The good news: David Oyelowo, yet another Brit playing an American icon (lots of them these days), gets Martin Luther King Jr.’s vocal cadences amazingly well. The bad news: I wish there’d been more fiery speeches to show off his talent. “Selma” is a more ruminative movie than one that gets you up on your feet shouting “Amen.” It shows King in quiet, contemplative moments – too many of them for me. We see him strategizing with his close group of advisers. We see him trying to make his point with LBJ (Tim Wilkinson, another Brit playing a legendary American). We see him navigating strained marital waters with his wife Coretta. And all of these contemplative moments move at a very slow pace, many in darkly lit spaces.

It’s when “Selma” opened up and showed us the people of Selma and the consequences of their fight for their right to vote that the movie came alive for me. Their courage, their persistence even in the face of formidable opposition, even in the face of unyielding Alabama Governor George Wallace (another Brit, Tim Roth), was inspirational and riveting. But as for King himself? Let’s put it this way. As I was coming out of the ladies’ room after the movie, I heard several women echo my own thought, which was: “How can a story about such a magnetic man make him seem so un-magnetic?” The film was emotionally flat in places where it needed to soar. I was disappointed.

I met Pam Burke years ago during my New York publishing days. She co-executive produced NBC’s “Tomorrow” show with Tom Snyder, and as a book publicist I’d pitch her my authors for the show. Later, after I left publishing and before I started writing my own books, she and I worked together on the short-lived “USA Today: The Television Show.” She’s always been a doer and a whip-smart one at that. Her latest media venture is The Women’s Eye, a multifaceted web enterprise that includes radio, feature stories, interviews and just about every sort of news-you-can-use for women.

Now TWE has decided to launch their first-ever “tel-event” or “webinar” (choose your favorite term) on May 29th at 10am PT and I’m their guest speaker.

I’ll be interviewed by TWE’s fabulous Stacey Gualandi….

She’ll ask me questions about caregiving and my survival guide, You’d Better Not Die or I’ll Kill You, and everyone who signs up for this FREE event will be able to ask me questions too. See their invitation page below and please register, share with others, spread the word. I’m really excited about this as soooo many people I know are dealing with a parent or grandparent, sibling, spouse or friend with an illness and they’re feeling overwhelmed. We’ll cover how to be the best patient advocate while still taking care of your own health and sanity. And, as I said, it’s FREE. Not a bad deal at all! Just go to the TWE page and follow the links to register. See you there.

TWE TelEvent: LIVE Q&A With Jane Heller-Essential Tips for Caregivers

Yes, it’s our FIRST EVENT and we wanted to invite you… Join us via the Web, your phone, or Skype 10 AM Pacific Time Thursday, May 29th for a FREE, LIVE Interview and Q&A session with:New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and long-time caregiver JANE HELLER

How to Be the Best Caregiver and Still Take Care of You

TWE Radio host, Stacey Gualandi, will be interviewing Jane, the author of her Caregiver’s Survival Guide, You’d Better Not Die or I’ll Kill You, (what she says to her husband Michael before he goes into surgery). Then we’ll open it up for your questions.

Jane’s written 13 romantic comedies, so you know she’s got a great sense of humor, but she was also catapulted into the world of caregiving when she met and married her husband, who has had more than thirty surgeries for Crohn’s Disease.

In this webinar, Jane will share her tips about: How to Be the Best Patient Advocate for Your Loved One How to Keep Your Sanity How to Maintain Your Health

See Jane’s terrific book trailer on this page along with all of the details for this event including: How to join us by the Web, your phone, or Skype How the teleconference works (it’s simple!) How you can ask your questions ahead of time as well as during the event How to register for the replay in case you can’t make the live event If you want to Register Now, just click the button! Click to Register Warm regards, Pam, Cheryl and The Women’s Eye Team P.S. Please pass this on to others you think would like to attend.

Now that Jeff Zucker has officially arrived to shake up CNN, there were bound to be major on-air changes. I’m all in favor of Zucker’s decision to bring Chris Cuomo over from ABC News to co-anchor a new morning show with Erin Burnett (about whom I’m less enthusiastic). While I hope he finds a new slot for Soledad O’Brien, I’m crossing my fingers that he sends Margaret Carlson packing; she sounds like a person who’s just inhaled helium and I cannot understand a word she says.

What I’m sad about is that the odd couple of odd couples, Mary Matalin and James Carville, will be leaving CNN. Apparently, Zucker wants his pundits to appear in the studio and Mr. and Mrs. Matalin-Carville live in Louisiana and have been doing remotes. I’ll miss them. I found them endlessly entertaining. Talk about a bipartisan marriage. Maybe they’ll turn up on another network and I can continue to watch them bicker. I wonder what they talk about when there are no cameras around. My guess is they discuss who’ll do the dishes and who’ll take out the garbage, just like the rest of us.

Today’s Cinema Society screening was the latest film from the Oscar-winning team that brought us “The Hurt Locker,” screenwriter Mark Boal and director-producer Kathryn Bigelow. It chronicles in docu-drama style the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden from the point of view of a young female CIA operative played convincingly by Jessica Chastain. The fact that it’s based closely on the true story and on real government agents makes it that much more compelling.

Yes, it opens with torture. And yes, it climaxes with the raid on bin Laden’s compound and his capture. (I actually teared up when the Navy SEAL soldier said “Geranimo” to indicate that they got their man. How can you not?) And yes, it’s 2 1/2 hours long and there was a section in the middle of the movie that could have used some judicious editing. But what a story. And how refreshing to have it told in a way that felt “All the President’s Men” journalistic, instead of fist-pumping jingoistic. Well done and highly recommended.

Boal and Bigelow came for the Q&A following the screening and discussed the challenges of shooting the film, the casting of Chastain, the effort to tell the story in a non-politicized way. I was so impressed with Bigelow in particular. She’s been able to accomplish so much, despite being a woman in a male-dominated profession. Bravo to her.

No, she didn’t come away victorious in her prosecution of O.J back in the day, and the jurors were said to find her abrasive and off putting. I, on the other hand, find her riveting.

Take the way she keeps changing her look.

During the O.J. trial, she was Curly Marcia.

Then she went blonde.

Photo: Entertainment Tonight

Then she adopted the sleeker look she’s sporting now.

The woman has reinvented herself more often than Madonna, but what I love most about her is her articulateness, if that’s even a word.

As a frequent legal contributor to CNN, she’s been a regular on AC 360, along with defense attorney Mark Geragos, talking about the Sandusky trial, and I’m always mesmerized by how fast and furiously she speaks. She never says “um” or “you know” or “like” but rather presents her views in complete sentences, with great passion and conviction, even when backed into a corner. That’s a gift, if you ask me.

With the mistrial in the Edwards corruption case not even 24 hours old, People magazine reports that Rielle Hunter’s “memoir” is due out at the end of the month. If she really loved Edwards and cared about her daughter’s future, why would she rehash all the tawdry details of the affair? She doesn’t need the money; Edwards has said he supports her and the child. So does she just want to have her time in the spotlight? I should add that while I won’t buy the book, I’ll be reading every juicy tidbit coughed up by the media. I’m that shallow.

Rielle Hunter, the former mistress of John Edwards and the mother of their 4-year-old daughter, has written what the publisher promise to be a revealing memoir hitting the shelves later this month.

What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me is being billed as a tell-all about the events behind the dramatic downfall of Edwards, whose political corruption trial ended Thursday with an acquittal on one charge and a mistrial on others.

“We are delighted to publish Rielle Hunter’s memoir. A lot has been said. But no one has heard the truth of what really happened until now,” Glenn Yeffeth, publisher of BenBella Books, tells PEOPLE.

RoseMarie Terenzio, Hunter’s rep, confirms the book will be out June 26.

Hunter gave a lengthy interview in 2010 to GQ, describing her affair with Edwards from the “magnetic force field” of their first night together to their uncertain future as ex-lovers and co-parents of a young daughter.

“I know he loves me,” Hunter told the magazine. “I have never had any doubt at all about that. We love each other very much. And that hasn’t changed, and I believe that will be till death do us part. The love doesn’t go away. It’s unconditional.”

Edwards went on trial in federal court on charges of illegally using nearly $1 million in unreported campaign contributions to hide Hunter during his 2008 bid for the White House. At the time, Hunter was pregnant and Edwards’s wife, Elizabeth, was battling breast cancer, which later took her life.

A few weeks ago, one of the female reporters on the local Santa Barbara news channel, KEYT, was caught stuffing her blouse into her skirt when the camera went to her for a story. I guess she had just come from the bathroom and didn’t have time to pull herself together.

But then things often go awry at our little TV station. Take this clip, for instance.

I just take it for granted that there will be slip-ups here, because we’re a small town. But when I heard about the Bloomberg News thing today, I really laughed. The expression on the poor woman’s face is priceless. She does a great job of covering though – literally.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. authorities reported the first U.S. case of mad cow disease in six years on Tuesday and quickly assured consumers and global importers that meat from the California dairy cow did not enter the food chain.
John Clifford, the USDA’s chief veterinary officer, said the case was “atypical” and that there was “no cause for alarm” from the animal. Cows can contract the disease spontaneously in rare cases and that it cannot be transmitted unless the brain or spinal tissue is consumed by humans or another animal, according to scientists.
Mad cow, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, is believed to cause the deadly brain disease variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob in humans who eat infected parts from animals with the disease. The first mad cow case in the United States was in late 2003 and caused the nation’s beef exports to drop by nearly $3 billion the following year.
There is no evidence that humans can catch it from drinking the milk of an infected cow. However, fears of a potential backlash among consumers and big importers of U.S. beef caused Chicago live cattle futures to drop sharply.
The USDA has begun notifying authorities at the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as well as U.S. trading partners, but the finding should not affect the nation’s beef exports, Clifford said. The USDA is still tracing the exact life of the infected animal.
The carcass of the cow, which the USDA said was infected by an “atypical” form of the disease, is under quarantine and would be destroyed. The cow, which was found at a rendering plant that processes diseased or sick animals into non-edible products for use in things like soap or glue, was not believed to have contracted the disease by eating contaminated feed, the USDA said.

I was already turned off to eating beef and drinking dairy before reading the article, but that last part – about the poor cow being re-purposed into soap and glue – made me gag.

It’s veggies from here on out…or until I get a craving for this again.

“Covert fashion” for concealed weapons, they’re calling it. Are you kidding me with this stuff? Isn’t it bad enough that anybody anywhere can walk around carrying their favorite little AK-47? Okay, I realize we’re talking about handguns here, but still. There’s something very scary to me about outfitting people so they can look chic while they’re “packing.” I am for civil liberties. I am for personal freedom. I am also for gun control. Everybody doesn’t need a damn gun, and to profit off the joys of gun-carrying is distasteful beyond words.

Woolrich, a 182-year-old clothing company, describes its new chino pants as an elegant and sturdy fashion statement, with a clean profile and fabric that provides comfort and flexibility.

And they are great for hiding a handgun.

The company has added a second pocket behind the traditional front pocket for a weapon. Or, for those who prefer to pack their gun in a holster, it can be tucked inside the stretchable waistband. The back pockets are also designed to help hide accessories, like a knife and a flashlight.

The chinos, which cost $65, are not for commandos, but rather, the company says, for the fashion-aware gun owner. And Woolrich has competition. Several clothing companies are following suit, building businesses around the sharp rise in people with permits to carry concealed weapons.

Their ranks swelled to around seven million last year from five million in 2008, partly because of changes to state laws on concealed handguns.

Shawn Thompson, 35, who works at an auto dealership in eastern Kentucky, bought two shirts last month from the Woolrich Elite Concealed Carry line. Both, he wrote on his blog, are a step up from more rugged gear.

“Most of the clothes I used in the past to hide my sidearm looked pretty sloppy and had my girlfriend complaining about my looks,” he wrote, adding in an interview, “I’m not James Bond or nothing, but these look pretty nice.”

The shirt has a barely discernible side slit with Velcro through which, he said, he can yank his Colt 1911 from his waistband holster. Depending on circumstances and mood, he might also carry a folding knife and, at night, a flashlight in a pair of Woolrich chinos his girlfriend bought for him.

Carriers of concealed guns say the new options are a departure from the law enforcement and military look, known as “tactical,” long favored by gun owners.

The latest styles, by contrast, are called “concealed carry” or “covert fashion.”

“What we’ve tried to do is create a collection of garments that allows the end user to have stylish lifestyle apparel but have features in the garment that enable them to carry a weapon and draw the weapon quickly,” said David Hagler, a vice president at 5.11 Tactical, who was lured from Nike to work at 5.11, one of the biggest makers of clothing for soldiers and police officers.

The company’s growing concealed-carry line includes a lightweight water-resistant vest coming this fall — the sort of vest that is standard and trendy at any mainstream outdoor shop but has strategic pockets for guns. It also includes a stealth compartment in front so the wearer can appear to be warming his hands while actually gripping a pistol in a waistband holster.

Other companies are rushing to meet the demand for concealed-carry clothing. Under Armour, best known for its sports and action gear, will be adding a jacket and a plaid shirt with Velcro pockets for easy gun access.

Kevin Eskridge, senior director for outdoor product and design at the company, said the company had seen demand double in the last year for such clothing from traditional outdoor and sporting goods stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s.

Mr. Eskridge said the Under Armour apparel was catching on because of fashion but also because of its features, including moisture-wicking fabric.

“Others are making shirts with gun access but using regular cotton,” he said. With his company’s fabrics, “there’s no stink factor,” he said. And if gun owners do not use fabrics that wick away moisture, “You’ll literally rust out,” he added.

Gun experts suggest that there are many reasons for the growth in the number of people with concealed-carry permits. They say it is partly due to a changing political and economic climate — gun owners are professing to want a feeling of control — and state laws certainly have made a difference.

After a campaign by gun rights advocates, 37 states now have “shall issue” statutes that require them to provide concealed-carry permits if an applicant meets legal requirements, like not being a felon. (A handful of other states allow the concealed carrying of handguns without a permit). By contrast, in 1984 only 8 states had such statutes, and 15 did not allow handgun carrying at all, said John Lott, a researcher of gun culture who has held teaching or research posts at a number of universities, including the University of Chicago.

Only one state, Illinois, now forbids handgun carrying in any form, but the legislature is considering a change.

A majority of states have long allowed the open carrying of handguns, said Mr. Lott, who also provided the data on gun permits. But the reality, said Mr. Lott and other gun experts, is that people do not want to show others that they are carrying a weapon or invite sharp questioning from the police.

The clothing lines address a perceived need in the concealed-carry subculture. Gun owners say they want to practice “maximum uncertainty,” meaning that if a gun is sufficiently concealed, a potential criminal will be unsure whether to attack. Gun experts say the research is inconclusive about whether such tactics reduce crime. Regardless, the clothing makers are jumping on the line of thinking.

“When someone walks down the street in a button-down and khakis, the bad guy gets a glimmer of fear, wondering: are they packing or not?” said Allen Forkner, a spokesman for Woolrich, which started its concealed-carry line in 2010 with three shirts.

The company has since added new patterns for shirts, pants and the Elite Discreet Carry Twill jacket, in dark shale gray and dark wheat tan. In addition to its gun-friendly pockets, the jacket has a channel cut through the back that the company says can be used to store plastic handcuffs.

Not everyone who carries a concealed gun is a fan of the new fashion. Howard Walter, 61, a salesman at Wade’s Eastside Guns in Bellevue, Wash., said he preferred to carry his Colt — and a couple of knives and two extra magazines — in a durable pair of work pants.

“They don’t shout ‘gun,’ they shout ‘average guy in the street,’ ” said Mr. Walter, who years ago worked in sales at Nordstrom. But really, he said, the most important thing in picking clothing is to choose something that works for the weapon. “They should dress for the gun,” he said he advised his customers. “Not for the fashion.”

The other day, Judd wrote an emotional op-ed piece in The Daily Beast. She had been the object of feverish speculation having to do with her face – i.e. why it looked puffier than it had in previous years and whether she’d had “work done.” She explained that she’d been sick and was taking steroids and that it was disgusting how women’s bodies are picked over and spit out.

I have felt her anger and shared her outrage – both on my own behalf and on Michael’s.

My husband takes steroids on and off and has for years. Prednisone is a wonder drug in its ability to reduce inflammation, but one of its dreaded side effects is what’s called “moon face.” When he’s on “Pred,” he blows up like the Incredible Hulk. It’s not fun, but as soon as he gets off the evil stuff, he goes back to his normal size.

People don’t remark about his moon face; they’re just glad if he’s feeling better. Most people, that is. There’s an anecdote in my forthcoming book, YOU’D BETTER NOT DIE OR I’LL KILL YOU: A Caregiver’s Survival Guide to Keeping You in Good Health and Good Spirits (Chronicle/October), in the chapter on friendship. He and I were at a wedding reception during a period when he was on high doses of steroids prior to surgery. His face was indeed puffy. Suddenly, a man we thought was a friend, although someone we didn’t see on a regular basis, walked up to Michael, pointed at him and said, “Wow. Michael. You got SO FAT!”

I was stunned by this man’s insensitivity. I mean, what kind of jerk says that right to a person’s face?

Michael was just as stunned, I could tell, but he reacted much more diplomatically than I would have and replied calmly, “I’m not fat. I’m on steroids. I’m about to have surgery.”

Not only did the man not apologize, but he didn’t even ask about the surgery or say, “I hope it goes well.” He is so off our list now.

I’m the opposite of fat – “the size of a pencil,” I once wrote about myself – and, Michael’s story aside, I have always been amazed how people who are careful to avoid insulting a fat person have no compunction about insulting a thin one.

“You’re so scrawny,” a woman once told me. “You’re nothing but bones,” said another. “Do you ever EAT?” many of them have had the nerve to ask.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was at Saks looking for a top to wear to a dressy event when a saleswoman approached.

“I’m going to a fancy dinner tonight,” I told her, “and I need something great to wear under my suit jacket.”

“Have you seen the new tops from Theory?” she asked, referring to one of my favorite designers.

“Yes,” I said. “I tried them on and they were all too big.”

She literally rolled her eyes and said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, “Oh, my heart bleeds for you.”

Seriously? Not only was this said without humor or sisterly understanding or even good salespersonship, but it was downright rude.

I stammered and said, “Well, I’m small, I guess.”

She said, “Honey, women would kill for your body, so I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.”

“I’m not worried,” I said, gathering myself after what felt like a punch in the gut. “Have a nice day.”

I left the store wondering why it is that people feel so comfortable picking on thin people. I have small bones. I was built that way. And yes, I eat – plenty.

So I agree with Ashley Judd in her message to all the finger pointers out there: buzz the hell off.

I’m a “60 Minutes” fan and watch every Sunday night, but the show hasn’t been the same since Wallace retired. And now his death has triggered a host of memories of the interviews he did over the years. Nobody put a “guest” in the hot seat like he did. From politicians and corporate types to mobsters and celebrities, he asked all the questions I wanted to ask but would never have had the nerve.

I think my favorite was the Streisand interview.

I was squirming in my living room during that one, but it was compelling television.

Wallace was a newsman, and he always tried to get at the truth. Not a bad legacy.

I always fly Jet Blue when I come east. No muss, no fuss. TVs at your seats. Enough trail mix and plane wine to last the six-hour flight. No need to fly out of or into LAX but rather the much-easier-to-navigate Burbank Airport. And the Jet Blue flight crews are so friendly and helpful.

Well, they used to be.

First, there was the flight attendant who snapped and took off down the chute of the plane.

Now, via the NYT and elsewhere, we learn that the captain – yes, the guy in charge of flying the plane – had a breakdown at 30,000 feet. Talk about turbulence.

Fortunately, there was a sane co-pilot in the cockpit, as well as an off-duty pilot who took the wheel, not to mention a flight full of security types on their way to a convention – lots of able bodied men and women trained to take somebody down.

http://youtu.be/RvqvXhXwMbw

Isn’t it amazing how calm everybody looks in the video? The disturbance is quelled and everybody stays in their seat and continues watching their TVs or reading their Kindles or whatever they were doing. I, on the other hand, would have been freaking out. I mean, the last thing you expect when you fly is that the Captain will go stir bugs. An unruly passenger? Sure. A screaming child? No biggie. But the captain?

The good news, I guess, is that the plane was diverted to Texas, landed safely and everybody survived the incident. The bad news is that people seem to be doing a lot of snapping and breaking down lately. Take the guy who gained all that attention after his Kony video. He seemed pretty normal until he was standing naked in a street in San Diego screaming at the demons in his own head.

Metal detectors at airports aren’t designed to screen crazy people. Maybe there should be shrinks at airports having quick sessions with the flight crews before allowing them on board. I don’t want my Jet Blue pilot going nuts on my next flight, I really don’t.